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The Main Tutorial
This is designed so a total Photoshop novice can fully complete the tutorial on their own, but a more advanced user can easily see the relevant commands and move quickly (provided they have the software and basic computer skills). I've tested it on a people and had great results.

Companion (Actions) Tutorial
This version automates any steps where the user doesn't have to give their own creative input and runs them as Photoshop actions. It's really fast. It reduces the number of Steps from to 225 to 63, and it has a method for starting with an existing map shape to just add the style.

About
I've been using Ascension's Atlas style tutorial and was so happy with it, I decided to re-write it in a way that I could go through it more quickly using as many keyboard shortcuts as possible. What I ended up with was a pretty elaborate document, a lot learned about Photoshop, and something I thought others might enjoy and benefit from.

While I wrote the document, virtually every step of it simply recreates Ascension's style exactly. I even asked him for permission - I don't want to take credit for the style. There are only a couple minor additions or revisions in the overall style, the most drastic of which is just a layer which can easily just be hidden or deleted. The Photoshop document layout is quite different in some areas, but I hope this adds more flexibility and organization for more complex maps.

This tutorial also stops just before Ascension's tutorial started getting into adding titles and towns.

I'm totally open to feedback. If you try it out and get hung up somewhere or whatever, let me know. If I can clarify it more, I will update and re-post.

As a PS newbie I was about to start pleading with Ascension to make things a little easier with layers and PS versions. I’ve actually giving up a few times in frustration on with what layer/copy/duplicate I’m supposed to be on. That certainly isn’t a reflection on an absolutely fantastic contribution from Ascension; which I’m sure for most people with a little more knowledge of PS than I do would probably work through fairly easily..…Thanks Ascension and Kindari you both ROCK!!!
Cheers
Korbs

As a PS newbie I was about to start pleading with Ascension to make things a little easier with layers and PS versions. I’ve actually giving up a few times in frustration on with what layer/copy/duplicate I’m supposed to be on. That certainly isn’t a reflection on an absolutely fantastic contribution from Ascension; which I’m sure for most people with a little more knowledge of PS than I do would probably work through fairly easily..…Thanks Ascension and Kindari you both ROCK!!!
Cheers
Korbs

Thanks Korbs! That was largely my goal - to take the great work Ascension created and break it into the smallest steps for less experienced users. Hopefully, you learn a lot about Photoshop in the process!

I added another update today, with revisions based on what I saw when went through the tutorial who had absolutely zero experience with photoshop, graphic design software, or image manipulation whatsoever.

If you get really suck on something, let me know. I'll try to help you here, and it will probably help me improve the tutorial for the next guy.

Hi Kindari, stuck again around step 32 in the CS5.1 (refuse to fork out the bucks for 6 ).
Step 32 is Create a selection from the "Base" ---Layers panel -> Ctrl + click thumbnail
Does that mean...with the layer just created in Step 31 "Layer 1" hold down Ctrl key and then select the "Base" layer i.e. both layers are selected. If thats the case then there is no modify option comming up for me in Step 33 Alt -> S -> M -> E. My guess is that the base layer was still supposed to have the selection on it somehow but perhaps not. Another guess is that step 33 expands the outline of the land shapes by 20 for later coastlines to go in but sorry getting a little lost...and step 46 my next BIG SAVE is so far away

I'll explain a little extra because you'll run into this type of step several times...

I've tried to use as "official" as terminology as I can think of, but sometimes that's still pretty confusing. A "selection" in Photoshop refers to when you draw a selection box, circle, or other shape to select some of the pixels. Unless there's an error in my tutorial (which I gladly admit to if found!) when I say "selection" I'm referring to selecting some pixels.

You're doing it half right. After creating "Layer 1", Layer 1 is selected. When you hold Ctrl and click layer "Base", the results depend on *where* you clicked. If you click the name or the empty area in the layers panel next to the name, you get the results you described (both "Layer 1" and "Base" are selected). If this was what I wanted to do, I probably would have worded the step differently. I would have said "Select layer Layer 1 and layer Base --- Layers panel -> ctrl + click layer name.

Alternatively (and this is what I intended), when you hold ctrl and click the *thumbnail* of a layer, that layer's shape will be selected in the image canvas area. You should see the dotted line (sometimes called "marching ants") outlining the shape of your land. Layer 1 will still be the "selected layer", but the "selection" on the image canvas will be the shape of layer Base.

From there, Step 33 will modify that selection shape.

I did notice I didn't put (layer "Layer 1") at the end of Step 32 which indicates that layer "Layer 1" should be selected when you ctrl + click layer "Base" thumbnail. I'll update that later perhaps.

I hope this helps, and feel free to reply if it doesn't explain all the way. Thanks!

OK Now I feel like a super noob Thanks Kindari, right select the "thumbnail" image NOT the grey area to the right hand side.

So only addition I can think of so far would be add a little section up the top of your guide…perhapsPLEASE READ!!!: Although this tutorial should actually help the reader to understand Photoshop, if you’re really new to PS then its probably a good idea to have a look at the following videos.

With a couple YouTube links to some 101 stuff

BTW thanks very much for the help and quick response Kindari, really appreciate it.